UK girl's name
Charity
A feminine name of Latin origin meaning "love of humankind".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2020. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Charity is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Charity popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2020 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4535, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2001, with 22 births.
This profile covers 160 England and Wales registrations across 20 recorded years from 1996 to 2020. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 18% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 159 living people in the UK are called Charity. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2021 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Charity ranked #4535 for girls in England and Wales in 2020, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2001, when 22 girls were registered as Charity.
- • About 159 living people in the UK are estimated to have Charity as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4535
2020
Births in 2020
4
Latest year
Peak year
2001
22 births
Estimated living
159
2026
Meaning
What does Charity mean?
The name Charity is derived from the Latin word "caritas", which means "dearness, high regard, or esteem". It is also related to the Latin word "carus", meaning "dear" or "beloved". The name emerged during the early Christian era, around the 3rd to 4th century AD, as a virtue representing compassion, love, and generosity towards others.
Charity was initially popularized as a virtue in the New Testament of the Bible, particularly in the writings of St. Paul, who described it as one of the three greatest virtues, along with faith and hope. The concept of charity as a virtue was embraced by the early Christian church and became a central tenet of the religion.
One of the earliest recorded instances of Charity as a given name is found in the 6th century AD, with Saint Charity of Le Puy, a French abbess and founder of the Abbey of Le Puy-en-Velay. Another notable figure was Charity Byrne (c. 1701-1773), an Irish Roman Catholic nun and founder of the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
In the 17th century, the name gained popularity in England, with Charity White (c. 1603-1691) being one of the earliest recorded individuals with this name. She was a Puritan woman who immigrated to Massachusetts Bay Colony in the 1630s.
Another famous bearer of the name was Charity Hayter (1825-1892), an English novelist and writer of children's books, who was known for her moral tales and stories promoting Christian values.
In the 19th century, Charity Ricketts (1841-1910) was an American social reformer and activist who worked for women's suffrage and the abolition of slavery. She was also involved in the establishment of the Women's Christian Temperance Union.
Charity Edna Munden (1879-1966), also known as Charity Edna Motley, was an American educator and civil rights activist who fought for desegregation and equal educational opportunities for African Americans in Oklahoma.
These are just a few examples of historical figures who bore the name Charity, reflecting its association with virtues of compassion, generosity, and service to others throughout different eras and cultures.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Charity over time
The chart below shows babies named Charity registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2020. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Charity, the clearest high point is 2001. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2020, compared with 22 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Charity by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Charity was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #4535 | 4 | 1 |
| 2010s | #4393 | 25 | 5 |
| 2000s | #2752 | 87 | 10 |
| 1990s | #1733 | 44 | 4 |
Notable bearers
Famous people named Charity
-
Charity Wakefield
film director; stage actor; film actor
British actress
1980-
-
Charity Bick
RAF servicewoman and George Medal recipient
1924-2002
-
Charity Norman
writer
Peerage person ID=627861
Related
Names similar to Charity
- Chloe 111,265
- Charlotte 88,733
- Caitlin 28,931
- Courtney 23,162
- Chelsea 13,049
- Clara 9,435
- Connie 8,402
- Catherine 8,376
- Charlie 7,964
- Cerys 7,506
- Casey 7,018
- Cara 6,375
FAQ
Charity: questions and answers
How popular is the name Charity in the UK right now?
In 2020, Charity was ranked #4535 for girls in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Charity most popular?
The peak year on record was 2001, with 22 babies registered as Charity in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Charity?
A feminine name of Latin origin meaning "love of humankind".
How many people are called Charity in the UK?
A total of 160 babies have been registered as Charity across the 20 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.